The Michigan DNR, Division of Forests, Minerals, and Fire Management, employs 5-7 Service Foresters located throughout the state to provide technical assistance to woodland owners within a multi-county area. Though limited in the length of time they can spend with an individual landowner and the types of assistance they can provide (they cannot, for example, monitor a timber sale), the Service Forester is an excellent source of information about regional forestry, cost-share programs, and forest property tax programs.

Quite a number of consulting foresters practice in Michigan. Consulting foresters are professional foresters who are self-employed or who work for a private consulting company providing forest resource management recommendations and assistance for a fee. While some consultants provide assistance in a wide variety of forestry activities and others are quite specialized, consulting foresters generally can provide a greater range and depth of services than foresters employed by public agencies. Information about consulting foresters providing timber harvesting or other forest management services in a particular area can be obtained on-line from a directory maintained by MSU Extension at [http://forestry.msu.edu/extension/extdocs/consulfor/consult.htm]. A list of logging contractors serving a particular county can be obtained by contacting the Michigan Association of Timber through their webiste at [www.timbermen.org].